How to Hydrate and Lubricate Dry Eyes

In order to keep your eyes hydrated, they need to stay lubricated. If you lose the lubrication, your eyes will get irritated very quickly. That can lead to eye strain and other problems. Follow these tips to help alleviate eye dryness and irritation.

If your body does not have enough water in it, your eyes will not have the moisture they need to stay sufficiently hydrated.

Your tear ducts can get stopped up. Try unblocking them to get your eye's natural lubrication system working again.

This may sound silly, but it's an important reminder. If you are focused on something for a long time, such as a computer monitor, it's likely that you're not blinking as much as you normally would—or as much as you need to sufficiently disperse your tears. Take a short break to rest your eyes.

Artificial tears are a good way to lubricate your eyes if you don't produce enough tears naturally. Make sure you use artificial tear drops, not red-eye reducers or other types of eye drops. These can dry your eyes out. Speak to your eye doctor about what artificial tears option might be best for you.

If you wear contact lenses, take them out for a while. Contacts dry out easily and require lubrication. Look into changing your contacts to a more breathable type of lens, and avoid sleeping in your lenses—even if you wear a type that allows you to do so.

If your eyes are dry while you are asleep, that irritation can carry through the day. Use of an eye mineral oil lubricant before you go to sleep can help. Talk to your eye doctor about the best type for your problem.